Make up one or two bars of music that everyone can like and nobody dislikes.

Repeat 10 times.

Change some notes, perhaps some rhythms too.

Repeat 10 times, maybe 11.

Run replay of 3 and 4.

Run replay of 5.

Remember the Golden Rule: “Don´t do nothing just once”.

Congratulations, you’re the new Philip Glass. (Too bad he was there before you.)

Seriously, minimalism has truly become the Grand Avenue of the talentless. So you can´t write melodies, construct interesting rhythms, harmonies or counterpoint? Try minimalism. May “loop” be you mantra. I mean loop-loop-loop-loop-loop-loop-loop-loop-loop.

With P.G. the case seems to be that he (still) has some kind of hip, even avant-garde image. Thus, liking him is to get, certainly not a Platinum Member Card, but at least some kind of low level membership into the Club of the Hip. And we humans want to be thought hip, right?

As I see it, a very important factor for a budding composer is that he should like his own music. People talk about technique, orchestration, harmony, counterpoint, all kinds of talent one needs. I seldom hear about self-love.

The music you write should not make anyone writhe, especially not you. [Unless that´s exactly what you want. But then we are talking S-M.] It should be enjoyable to YOU, preferably physically enjoyable. And not because your are thinking of royalties, reputation or envious colleagues. (The exception: when your music, however beautiful, is performed by lazy musicians and bad orchestras. Then sweet enjoyment turns into bitter torture. Then one understands why Frank Zappa said he preferred to have his tricky music played by a sequencer.)

Ask yourself: Do I really enjoy listening to this piece of mine? If someone else had written it, would I still like it?

If not, give up composing.

I mean, if you don´t… it not even YOU enjoy your own music, what is the chance of others, non-family, total strangers, liking it?

Start with yourself, with pleasing yourself.

There´s of course the possibility that you are to easy to please. You love your music — but nobody else does. Then so be it; there´s no accounting for taste. At least ONE person is enjoying it…. Also, you probably have not met everybody yet and you might still find and build a fan-base in Alaska.

Or, maybe you are a hack, writing music that others enjoy very much, but which for you means nothing more than making a living or doing your craft. Love doesn´t enter the picture, at least not as much as the dollar.